Liberia: WSR Calls on Political Parties to Seek Judicial Procedures to Address Election Disputes

The Women’s Situation Room (WSR), a peace body committed to ensure nonviolent elections in Liberia, along with the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), urged the Minister of Internal Affairs to investigate the coming out of the Country Devil and report his findings to the public. 

At a news conference on Monday, October 16, at the Secretariat office of the Women’s Situation Room on 3rd Street, Monrovia, Cllr. Chesson-Wureh expressed the WSR’s fervent interest in the Minister ensuring that the National Symbols like the Country Devil are not used during elections to disrupt the elections process.

“We also call on the Minister of Internal Affairs to investigate the coming out of the Country Devil and report his findings to the public,” she said.

On Sunday, October 15, 2023, several people were said to have been wounded in rival clashes in Mayland county, following the sudden appearance of the traditional devil in the area.

This occurred in Old Sodoken, Pleebo District, following the tally process of ballot papers after the closure of voting on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. Reports from the county revealed that the clashes left several persons wounded. Victims of rival clashes in Pleebo Sodoken District, Maryland county, Polling staffs and poll watchers from different political parties including other NEC officials fled the scene, abandoning ballot boxes when series of controversies ensued, especially after the appearance of a ‘Country Devil’.

With this, the WSR says it is their request that the Minister of Internal Affairs ensure that ths National Symbols like the Country Devil are not used during elections to disrupt the elections process.

At the same time, the Women’s Situation Room and the Liberian Council of Churches have called on Liberians to remain calm and non-violent as the National Elections Commission (NEC) continues with the pronouncement of election results.

“If you are dissatisfied with the tally or the procedure, then there is a way provided by Liberian law by which you can challenge the process and even the final vote itself once you have evidence.”

According to the Women’s Situation Room (WSR), “the process starts with you filing a complaint with the election Magistrate. Even at the polling station when you went to vote, you could have filed a complaint. It is not too late, you can still file a complaint. If after you have had a hearing with the Magistrate and you do not agree with him/her you can then file an appeal with the Board of NEC Commissioners to hear you.”

“Then if you disagree with The Board of Commissioners, you can take your case to our Supreme Court who is the final court in Liberia.”

They continued- “We call on NEC to continue the process in a transparent manner and to ensure that incidents like the incident in Nimba where the Country Devil came out and ballot boxes were missing, then retrieved with 1 box still reported missing, is investigated by NEC and the results are expeditiously reported to the public. To leave incidents like this without NEC publically and expediently addressing them is undermining the confidence of the public in NEC.”

Both the WSR and the LCC have also condemned recent acts of violence, that led to the deaths of two Liberians. 

“The killing of 2 persons reported this weekend in Zorzor, Lofa County, is not only of concern to the public, but it is a reality that the public does not want to see, especially as mob violence is alleged to have contributed to one of the deaths.”

“We Liberians have shown that we have matured since our last elections as an electorate. We went to the polls in peace and voted for the candidate of our choice in peace. We certainly can obtain the results from the NEC in peace and start the legal process if you do not like the results.”

They urged: “Stop the violence. Elections is an event. We have to live with each other after elections. USE THE LAW AS YOUR VOICE.”